Early intervention and detection of hearing loss is necessary to prevent additional problems with social skills, speech and language development for your child when diagnosed with hearing impairment.  The earlier a child gets treatment, the more likely the child’s speech, language, and social skills will reach their full potential.  A multidisciplinary team approach is normally recommended to help your child achieve this, and they include:

• ENT surgeon who diagnose and treat disorders of the ear, nose and throat
• Audiologist who specialises in the evaluation and management of hearing and balance problems as well as with the fitting of hearing aids and other assistive listening devices
• Speech Therapist who specialises in speech and language development

Click to view FreeMed video on Treatment of a Deaf Child

Management

Specific treatment for your child’s hearing impairment depends on several factors;

• The degree and type of the hearing impairment
• Your child’s age and overall health
• Your child’s tolerance for the procedure or therapy
• Your preference

Successful management requires some or all of the following:

1. Hearing Aids, Assisted Listening Devices or Cochlear implant

Even after being fitted with Hearing Aids or Assisted Listening Devices, the child is recommended to have training by the audiologist and speech therapist to learn the sounds and speech they hear so that they are able to develop language and communication skills.

2. Development of Speech, Language & Communication skills by the Therapists

a) Auditory Oral Communication (in mild or moderate hearing loss)

b) Manual Communication (sign language and lip reading)

c) Total Communication (using all senses such as auditory, tactile and visual)

3. Support and Guidance by the Parents at Home to practise the skills taught by the Therapists

4. School Education (integration into normal schools or special schools) by Teachers trained to handle children with Hearing Impairment

Click to view NDCS video on Tips to help teach Children with Mild Hearing Loss

See your ENT surgeon, Audiologist or Speech Therapist if your child has hearing difficulty or speech delay

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Disclaimer. TELEME blog posts contains general information about health conditions and treatments. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information is not advice and should not be treated as such. 

If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition, you should seek immediate medical attention from your doctor or other professional healthcare providers. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website.